Voice capture system

• US 5,003,574 A
• Filed: 03/30/1989
• Issued: 03/26/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T, Inc.
• Inventors: Mattson, Linda M., Denq, Dong L., Rissanen, Eugene L., Perdue, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tomassini, James E.
• Application Number:
  US07/330,570
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 379/75, 379/84, 379/67, 379/88, 379/214, 369/25-29, 381/41-44
• US Class Current: 379/75
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53 Centralised arrangements for recording incoming messages , i.e. mailbox systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/908 Multimedia

Abstract

A voice capture system for use with a telephone switching system and transcribing terminals to record calling party generated information in predefined formats. The system digitizes and records messages generated by calling parties served by the telephone switching system and records recognized terminology occurring within the calling party voice messages as file records. The transcribing terminals are enabled to display the file record terminology in predefined formats and the recorded digitized calling party messages are transmitted as audio messages via a telephone coupled with the telephone switching system to operators of the transcribing terminals so that the operators may enter information contained within the recorded messages into the transcribing terminals to complete the predefined format that are subsequently recorded in the voice capture system.

Claims

1. A voice capture system for use with a telephone switching system and transcribing terminals to record calling party generated information in predefined formats wherein said voice capture system comprises

means interconnected with the telephone switching system and the transcribing terminals for digitizing and recording messages generated by calling parties served by the telephone switching system and for recognizing predefined terminology within the calling party voice messages and recording said recognized predefined terminology as file records and responsive to ones of the transcribing terminals coupled therewith for enabling said transcribing terminals to display said recorded recognized predefined terminology in partially completed predefined formats and transmitting said recorded digitized voice messages as voice messages via a telephone coupled with the telephone switching system to operators of the transcribing terminals for entering information contained in said transmitted messages into the transcribing terminals to complete said predefined format recorded in said voice capture system.

2. The voice capture system set forth in claim 1 wherein said means comprises

a plurality of line circuits and trunk circuits for interconnecting said voice capture system with corresponding line and trunk circuits of the telephone switching system.

3. The voice capture system set forth in claim 2 wherein said means comprises

a plurality of voice response units for generating voice prompt messages to instruct calling parties interconnected with ones of said voice capture system line and trunk circuits in use of the voice capture system.

4. The voice capture system set forth in claim 3 wherein said means comprises

a plurality of voice record units for receiving voice messages generated by the calling parties in response to the generated voice prompt messages and recognizing said predefined terminology occurring in said received messages.

5. The voice capture system set forth in claim 4 wherein said means comprises

an analog switch interconnected with said voice capture system line and trunk circuits and with said voice response and record units for selectively connecting ones of the voice response and record units with ones of said voice capture system line circuits and trunk circuits.

6. The voice capture system set forth in claim 5 wherein said means comprises

a plurality of modem units for interconnecting said voice capture system with the transcribing terminals and with ones of said telephone switching system line and trunk circuits.

7. The voice capture system set forth in claim 6 wherein said means comprises

a disk store for storing said calling party voice messages and for storing said recognized predefined terminology in ones of said file records assigned the calling parties.

8. The voice capture system set forth in claim 7 wherein said means comprises

a pair of data buses for interconnecting said analog switch, disk store, modems, voice record and response units and said voice capture system line and trunk circuits.

9. The voice capture system set forth in claim 6 wherein said means comprises

a processor unit interconnected with a pair of data buses to control said analog switch to interconnect said voice response and record units with ones of said voice capture system line and trunk circuits interconnected with calling parties coupled with the telephone switching system for digitizing and recording said received calling party messages and for recording said recognized predefined terminology as file records in a disk store and responsive to transcribing terminals coupled with said modems for transmitting said recognized predefined terminology in said file records to said transcribing terminals to enable said transcribing terminals to display said recognized predefined terminology in partially completed predefined formats and for transmitting said recorded digitized voice messages as audio messages via ones of said voice capture system line and trunk circuits and a telephone to operators of the transcribing terminals for enabling said operators to enter information contained therein into the transcribing terminals to complete said partially completed predefined format for recording said completed predefined format in said disk store.

10. The voice capture system set forth in claim 9 wherein said processor unit comprises

means for translating said recognized predefined terminology into predefined information and recording said predefined information into ones of the file records for subsequent transmission to specific ones of the transcribing terminals.

11. A voice capture system for use with a telephone switching system and transcribing terminals to record calling party generated information in predefined formats wherein said voice capture system comprises

means interconnecting the voice capture system with line and trunk circuits of the telephone switching system for generating prompt messages to instruct calling parties coupled with ones of the telephone switching system line and trunk circuits in use of the voice capture system and for recognizing predefined terminology within messages generated by calling parties in response to the prompt messages, and

means controlling said generating and recognizing means for digitizing and recording said received calling party messages and for recording said recognized predefined terminology as file records and responsive to the transcribing terminals coupled with the voice capture system for transmitting said file records to the transcribing terminals and enabling the transcribing terminals to display said recognized predefined terminology in partially completed ones of the predefined formats and for transmitting said recorded digitized voice messages as audio messages via ones of said telephone switching system line and trunk circuits to operators of the transcribing terminals for enabling the operators to enter information contained within the transmitted audio messages into the transcribing terminals to complete said predefined formats.

12. A voice capture system for use with a telephone switching system and transcribing terminals wherein said voice capture system comprises

a plurality of line circuits and trunk circuits for interconnecting said voice capture system with corresponding line and trunk circuits of the telephone switching system,

a plurality of voice response units for generating voice prompt messages to instruct calling parties in use of the voice capture system,

a plurality of voice record units for receiving voice messages generated by the calling parties in response to the generated voice prompt messages and recognizing predefined terminology phrases within said received voice messages,

an analog switch for selectively interconnecting ones of the voice response and record units with ones of the voice capture system line circuits and trunk circuits,

a plurality of modem units for interconnecting said voice capture system with the transcribing terminals and with ones of said telephone switching system line and trunk circuits,

a disk store for storing ones of the calling parties recognized predefined terminology phrases and recorded voice messages,

a first data bus for interconnecting said analog switch, voice record and response units and voice capture system line and trunk circuits,

a second data bus for interconnecting said modems and disk store, and

a processor unit interconnected with said first and second data buses to control said analog switch to interconnect said voice response and record units with ones of said voice capture system line and trunk circuits interconnected with calling parties for digitizing and recording said received calling party voice messages and for recording said recognized predefined terminology phrases as file records in said disk store and responsive to transcribing terminals coupled with said modems for enabling said transcribing terminals to display ones of said recognized predefined terminology phrases in partially completed predefined formats and transmitting said recorded digitized voice messages as audio messages via ones of said voice capture system line and trunk circuits and a telephone to operators of the transcribing terminals for entering information contained within the audio messages into the transcribing terminals to complete said partially completed predefined format for recording in said disk store.

13. A method for operating a voice capture system interconnected with line and trunk circuits of a telephone switching system and with transcribing terminals wherein the method of operating the voice capture system comprises the steps of

generating voice prompt messages to instruct calling parties coupled with ones of the telephone switching system line and trunk circuits interconnected with the voice capture system in use of the voice capture system and recognizing predefined terminology phrases in messages received from the calling parties in response to the voice prompt messages,

digitizing and recording said received calling party messages and recording said recognized predefined terminology phrases as file records, and

transmitting said file records to ones of the transcribing terminals to enable the transcribing terminals to display said recognized predefined terminology phrases recorded in said file records in partially completed predefined formats and said recorded digitized calling party messages as audio messages via ones of said telephone switching system line and trunk circuits to operators of the transcribing terminals for enabling the operators to enter information contained within the transmitted audio messages into the transcribing terminals to complete said partially completed predefined formats and to store the completed predefined formats within the voice capture system as customer orders.